Apparatus and method for measuring concentration of blood component using terahertz

Abstract

An apparatus for measuring blood component concentration by using a terahertz wave, the apparatus comprising: a terahertz light source unit generating a terahertz wave in a predetermined range of THz, and emitting the generated terahertz wave to a specific region of a living body to measure blood component concentration; a terahertz generation controller controlling the generation of the terahertz wave in the terahertz light source unit; a terahertz detector detecting the intensity of light reflected from or penetrating into the specific region; a concentration analyzer analyzing the blood component concentration by using the detected light intensity; and a concentration indicator indicating the analyzed blood component concentration.

1 . An apparatus for measuring a blood component concentration using a terahertz wave, the apparatus comprising: 
 a terahertz light source unit generating a terahertz wave in a predetermined range of THz, and directing the generated terahertz wave to a specific region of a living body to measure blood component concentration;    a terahertz generation controller controlling the generation of the terahertz wave by the terahertz light source unit;    a terahertz detector detecting an intensity of light reflected from or penetrating into the specific region;    a concentration analyzer analyzing the blood component concentration using the detected light intensity; and    a concentration indicator indicating the analyzed blood component concentration.    
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the terahertz wave is in a range between 0.3 and 10 THz.  
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the concentration analyzer analyzes the concentration of at least one of glucose, cholesterol, albumin, hemoglobin and bilirubin.  
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the terahertz generation controller controls the terahertz light source unit to generate the terahertz wave as a pulse or a continuous signal.  
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein: 
 the terahertz detector further detects a change of permittivity of the terahertz wave when the terahertz wave penetrates into the specific region, and    the concentration analyzer analyzes the blood component concentration using the detected change of permittivity.    
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the intensity of light indicates a change in diffusion, absorption, or polarization characteristics of the terahertz wave.  
     
     
         7 . A method of measuring a blood component concentration using a terahertz wave, the method comprising: 
 generating a terahertz wave in a predetermined range of THz;    directing the generated terahertz wave to a specific region of a living body to measure the blood component concentration;    detecting an intensity of light reflected from or penetrating into the specific region;    analyzing the blood component concentration using the detected light intensity; and    indicating the analyzed blood component concentration.    
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the terahertz wave is in a range between 0.3 and 10 THz.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising: 
 detecting a change of permittivity of the terahertz wave when the terahertz wave penetrates into the specific region, and    analyzing the blood component concentration using the detected change of permittivity.    
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the terahertz wave is a pulse or a continuous signal.  
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the intensity of light indicates a change in diffusion, absorption, or polarization characteristics of the terahertz wave.  
     
     
         12 . A method of non-invasively measuring a concentration of a blood component, comprising: 
 directing an electromagnetic wave in a terahertz band to a specific region of a subject;    detecting a change in a characteristic of the electromagnetic wave reflected from or penetrating into the specific region; and    analyzing the blood component concentration using the detected change; and indicating the analyzed blood component concentration.    
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising: detecting a change in at least one propagation characteristic of the electromagnetic wave, when the electromagnetic wave penetrates into the specific region; and 
 analyzing the blood component concentration using the detected change in the at least one propagation characteristic.    
     
     
         14 . A non-invasive blood component concentration measuring apparatus, comprising: 
 an electromagnetic wave directing unit directing an electromagnetic wave in a terahertz band to a specific region of a subject;    a detector detecting a change in a characteristic of the electromagnetic wave reflected from or penetrating into the specific region;    an analyzer analyzing the blood component concentration using the detected change; and    a concentration indicator indicating the analyzed blood component concentration.    
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the detector detects a change in at least one propagation characteristic of the electromagnetic wave, when the electromagnetic wave penetrates into the specific region; and 
 the analyzer analyzes the blood component concentration using the detected change in the at least one propagation characteristic.